the journey begins

who I am

As a young child in the 1950s, Michael was transferred to the care of
his estranged, alcoholic father. Despite his mother’s stern warnings
to do right by their son, Michael and his dad set off hitchhiking across
the country. Trading his schoolbooks for a tattered Rand McNally
atlas, Michael spent most of his childhood crisscrossing the country—rarely
attending class, surviving on shoplifted sardines and sugared bread, sleeping
in rundown rooming houses, and rousing his soused dad from seedy bars. The
twosome was perpetually en route to someplace else.

Read the memoir that critics praised:

“A remarkable story . . . that is poignant and very, very real.” Larry
King, CNN

“A moving and thoroughly engrossing testament to the resilience
of the human spirit.” USA Today

“A heartbreaking memoir of staggering mileage.” Entertainment
Weekly

“The gritty realism of a smoke-filled flophouse and wide-eyed
joy of youth—an unusual combination but one that makes for a terrific
tale.” Rocky
Mountain News

“A fascinating tale . . . This is not the typical
memoir of a disadvantaged childhood. Keith knew his dad’s many
faults, but loved him anyway.” Milwaukee
Journal Sentinel

“Keith is an excellent storyteller . . . A well-told
tale of an odd stretch in the life of an American boy.” The Boston Globe